Takeover puzzle as Villa search for manager starts

Mixed messages have been coming out of Aston Villa all week and nothing changed yesterday. As the search began for a new manager in the wake of David O'Leary's unceremonious departure, the Premiership club issued a statement to the stock exchange revealing that it had received takeover approaches from "various parties", based in Britain and overseas. Those Villa fans excited at the possibility of seeing the chairman Doug Ellis follow O'Leary out of the door saw their optimism quickly checked, though.

"There is no certainty that any of these discussions will lead to an offer being made," said the statement. Indeed it seems there is no certainty of anything at Aston Villa these days. The furore surrounding the now infamous players' statement has not died down following O'Leary's exit. Roy Aitken, who will take charge of tonight's first pre-season friendly at Walsall, claimed yesterday that the players were still seeking a meeting with Ellis, although the Villa chairman has far more pressing matters on his mind.

The new Premiership season starts four weeks tomorrow and Ellis needs no telling that he must move swiftly to find a replacement for O'Leary. Martin O'Neill, Alan Curbishley and Sam Allardyce are the frontrunners, although all three will first require convincing about Villa's direction under Ellis's stewardship. The chairman will make money available to the new manager, something O'Leary was denied this summer, much to his frustration, but he will also need to give assurances about his own future role.

That could be difficult given that the financial advisors Rothschild, appointed by the Villa board earlier this year, are continuing to seek a buyer for the club. In that sense any manager taking over from O'Leary would do so knowing that he could be working for a new board and chairman in a matter of months. Villa fans will argue that the reality is very different and that Ellis has no intention of stepping aside and instead will keep true to the promise he made two years ago when he said "I will only go out of here feet first".

That stubborn attitude, coupled with his notoriously tight control on finances, could restrict Villa's search for a manager and it is already thought that Curbishley, currently out of work after leaving The Valley in May, has concerns about working under Ellis and would prefer a longer break from the game.

The former Charlton Athletic manager, who spent just under two years at Villa as a player in the 1980s, was reported to have distanced himself from the position earlier in the week, although his thoughts might well have changed now that O'Leary has left.

Any reservations Curbishley might have about Ellis could well be overlooked by other candidates. The opportunity to manage a club of Villa's prestige and stature would be too good to refuse for some, despite the Villa chairman's record of driving managers to the point of despair. Allardyce is believed to have become frustrated at Bolton Wanderers and could well be attracted by the prospect of taking over a high-profile club with potential as opposed to one that appears to have gone as far as it can and struggles to sell tickets for a Uefa Cup match.

It is Martin O'Neill, though, who is already the supporters' choice. He has been linked with Villa in the past and, having achieved success with minimal financial backing at Leicester City, has the ideal credentials for the post.

He is ready to return to football after taking time out to look after his wife Geraldine following her recovery from illness and, while travelling to Middlesbrough might not have been appealing, he would have far fewer difficulties commuting from his home in High Wycombe to the Midlands.

"I have been out of football for a year now," said O'Neill recently, "and, all things permitting, I would love to submerge myself in management again." There will be little time to bed in at Villa. Pre-season is in full swing and there have been no new signings to improve a side that only narrowly escaped being dragged into the bottom three last season. Assuming Ellis will not make an appointment until after the weekend, the new manager with have less than three weeks to prepare for a trip to Arsenal on the opening day.

The first job for O'Leary's successor will be to galvanise a squad gripped by unrest and divided through a statement that some players continue to claim they knew nothing about until it was released a week ago today. Aitken yesterday attempted to dismiss the notion that there is a dressing-room split, although the players' own comments about the turmoil that has enveloped Villa suggest otherwise. Not that the idea of player disharmony should be seen as a reason for anyone to steer clear of the Villa job.

The club has a significant support base, impressive stadium that is still used as an FA Cup semi-final venue and a squad of players capable of much more than finishing two places above the relegation zone. Furthermore, the youth policy continues to flourish, producing a number of promising youngsters that have gone on to become first-team regulars.

That backdrop should make Villa an attractive proposition, though much will depend on Ellis's ability to sell the club, not so much to a buyer but to a prospective manager. Perhaps he should recruit a fake sheikh.

The contenders

Alan Curbishley (11-10)

Curbishley is a former Aston Villa player and is favourite to land the job. The 48-year-old is out of work, having left Charlton at the end of last season, and there appear no obstacles to his appointment.

Martin O'Neill (Odds 3-1)

The 54-year-old former Celtic manager is ready for a return to management and the location of Villa would suit him perfectly. He is the choice of the club's supporters.

Sam Allardyce (11-1)

Allardyce has been linked with several jobs despite being manager of Bolton which suggests he could be unsettled at The Reebok. Might be attracted to Villa due to the club's size and potential.